Unmasking deceptive journals in education sciences: a study on prevalence, characteristics and visibility

Abstract

This study explores the landscape of predatory journals in education sciences by examining their prevalence, publishers, countries of origin, launch years, malpractices, and internet search metrics, focusing on journals indexed in Cabell's Predatory Reports (n=443). Education science journals make up 2.75% of the total predatory journals listed in the database, primarily scattered across small-scale publishers. The USA, Nigeria, and India emerge as major hubs and results reveal a rapid growth in predatory journals between 2011-2015, followed by slower proliferation. Publication and peer review process violations are the most common malpractices. Internet search metrics indicate increased organic traffic to predatory journal websites from 2017 to 2021 raising concerns about their potential impact on the academic publishing panorama. The findings underscore the need for continued efforts to raise awareness, promote ethical publishing practices, and protect academic integrity in education sciences publications.